Spring clamp mechanism



Dec. 8 1925- F. J. DOWLING SPRING CLAMP MECHANISM Filed Nov. 30, 1923 mvgn'ron RNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES runners J. BOWLING, F ivnw YORK, 1v. Y.

srmne CLAMP MECHANISM.

Application filed November 30, 1923. Serial No. 677,623.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, FRANCIS J DOWLING,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at NewYork city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York andv State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Clamp Mechanism, of which the following is'a specification. J

This invention relates to spring clamp mechanism, an object of the invention being to provide such a device which will securely clamp the arm or other portion of the body and securely hold a flash light so as to throw the light on the work, especially when the work is normally in the shadow or awkward lace. p A further object is to provide a device of the character stated which will securely hold a flash light of round, oval, or other cross sectional shape and which can be easily and quickly operated to clamp the light and the portion of the body desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated in which the light can be moved and'secured atthe desired angle or position of adjustment so as to throw the light exactly where desired. A Another object is to provide, as an article of manufacture, a clamp device embodyinga plurality of clamps, each for holding artis cles ofvarious sizes, and including means for the manipulation of either clamp whether or not the other clamp is occupied.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying draWings:-

Fig. l is a View in elevation of a. preferred embodiment of the invention."

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

' Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modification.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.

.I would have it understood that for brevity I shall hereinafter refer to. the device as being positioned on the arm of the user, but it is to be understood thatv it may be positioned on the leg or other portion of the body or any other convenient'support with'equal" convenience. i

The preferred embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a single strip of-spring metal bent. midway its ends into general circulariform to provide an article holder 4-6, the latter having an offset or recess 47 therein to accomodate or permit movement therethrough of the switch of the flash light.

The ends of the strip are crossed at the base of. the holder 46 and project laterally and each end of the strip is given two opposide bends or extensions as shown at 49 and 50 with a straight portion 51 between them, the straight portions51 of the respective strip ends crossing each other at an angle as clearly shown in Figure. 1.

These portions of the strip ends forming the bends 49, 50 and the crossed portions 51 as well as the portions of strip adjacent thereto are preferably made narrower than the other portions of the strip asindicated in Figure 2, so as'to-prevent distortion of the extremities of the strip which form the body clamp '52. 1

The members of the body clamp 52 are bowed outward and their ends are normally other. i i

.In'operatin'g this form .ofdevice the body clamp 52 is 'compressed,as indicated by;the' dot and da'shflines, which causes the holder 46 to expand as also indicated by similar lines. \Vhen in-this positionthe article can be easily inserted in the holder and will be securely clamped when'pressure onthebody clamp 52 is released. To expand the body clamp 52 so as to readily position the same, inward pressure is applied against the outside of the arms of the clamp l6 or the bends 50, preferably the latter when the parts will assume the position shown in' dotted lines. J I

To indicate the points of pressure and the direction of movement I have'employed the reference characters 900 with arrows pointing toward thebody clamp members to show the first operation above described and the reference characters I? and arrows to indicate the second operation described. 01' instead of applying'outside pressure to the clamp'mechanisms, theoperator may, if desired, apply pressure upon the inner surfaces of the members or jaws of either clamp, causing the same to separate or spread, and when this is done the jaws of spaced :from but adjacent to each ends-of the stripare' crossed atthe base of the holder 53,'as indicatedat'55'and'the extremities of thestripare bowed outward to form the body clampmembers56.

The ends of them-embers'56 are normally suiiiciently' close together as indicated so that pressure on'the' vmem'bers 56 will expand the holder 53. and pressure on the latt'er will expand. the body clamp, when the holder 53 is not occupied. lVhen, however,

K the lamp is in place the operator, to spread the legs 56, has merely to grasp around'ithe lamp and'bear with his fingers against the inner sides of the legs, applying force thereto in opposite directions. Or if the legs were made one longer than the other as above described, the clamp would be applied as stated in connection with the first figures.

It will thus be noted that in all forms of my improved device I provideflash' light holding means and body clamping means which are capable'of a wide range of adjustment to accommodate themselves to all ordinary conditions and which insures the properholding of the light 'to illuminate the work. v

Furthermore it willbe noted that "the devices can'be'operated with one hand which is important and in "many cases absolutely necessary. I 1

Various other" changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of-parts described, 'withoutdeparting froin'my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth but consider myself at liberty to'make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. H

' It will be observed also that'inall' forms the body holding clamp and the article holding clamp are both well adapted "'for' the accommodation of various sizes of articles clamped. That is to say, the body holder will beapplicable to either an arm or'leg or other part of theoperator or mechanic and the'flaslr light'holdingclamp in each case is] adapted for holding all"'standa'rd makes or sizes or shapes of lamp bodies or other articles.

It will be noted also that eachclamp portion of the device is both expansible for the holding clamp carried reception of varioussizes, forms, or shapes ofobjects orarticles and also ,is automatically contractible, for: gripping; the articles or objects so received. The longer arm or leg of the body clamp may be engaged against the portion of the bodv to be embraced by such clamp' while the hand of the operator grasping the device as a whole or the shorter leg, with-or without the flash light or article being held in place, by the use of a moderate degree of force, the two free ends of the body clamp willubesu'fliciently spaced or 'movedrelatively to admit freely the portion of the body intendedfor the clamp. Again, as above premised, in the principal forms of'tlie invention, compression applied to the top or shoulder portions of'the body clamp willcause or tend to cause the expansion or enlargement ofithe opening of the flashlight or other article thereby. I claim: 1. The herein described clampmecha'nism comprising a pair of clamps located end to end and in substantially the same plane, each'clamp having arms at the sides thereof, the diagonally opposite arms of both clamps consisting of unitary structures movable relatively to each other and crossing each other so that when either clamp is compressed the other is opened, said structures having extending portions between the clamps comprising loops crossing eachother. 2. 'As a new article of manufacture, clampingunechanism comprising a plurality "of springi'clamps associated'iwith each other, each of the'clamps being capable-of a :wide range of manipulation for gripping and holding articles of various sizes and soconstructed that pressure applied to' the inner side of either of the clamps, when the clamps are'innormal position, will'cause the'other clamp to'contra'ct "for holding purposes, and

additionahm'eans to cause 'over' expansion of' one ofthe-clampsfor the release or reception of the aforesaid articlewhi'le' the otherof the clamps is occupied, and'each of the clamps, furthermore, being capable of holding articles when contracted-beyond normal position with a'forceproportional to the over expansion of the other clamp.

3. The herein described combined I clamp mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced expansible clamps capable ofgbeing used for holding purposes simultaneously, and auxiliary actuating means for the clamps'adapted to open either of them When actuatedby the 'hand'of the operator, said actuating means comprising extensions adjacent to each of the clamps upon whichthe, operator may exert pressure for the purpose of opening said clamps. .7

4; In a clamp mechanism, the combinationof a plurality of clamps whose normal holding position is contracted'for holdin Ill) purposes, each of the aforesaid clamps being capable of contraction to expand the other clamp, and independent means at the end of one of the clamps to expand one of the clamps even though the other clamp is occupied.

5. The herein described combined clamp mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced expansible clamps capable of being used for holding purposes simultaneously, and auxil iary actuating means oining said clamps and operative to cause expansion of either of the clamps while the other is occupied, one of said clamps being movable at each end thereof for the purpose of expansion as aforesaid said clamp being provided for this purpose with an extension at the free end thereof, said clamp being operative by the actuating means at its other end, thus rendering said clamp expansible at either end of the same.

6. The herein described combined clamp mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced expansible clamps capable of being used for holding purposes simultaneously, one of said clamps having a pair of legs one of which is longer than the other to facilitate the opening of said clamp, and flexible auxiliary means joining said clamps and capable of taking up part of the flexure upon the clamp having the longer leg when the same is opened as aforesai a 7. As a new article of manufacture, clamp mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced clamps each of which is capable of manipu lation for holding articles of various sizes,

and so constructed that pressure applied to the inner side of either of the clamps when said clamps are in normal position will cause a the contraction of the other clamp, While pressure applied upon the outside of either of the clamps While said clamps are in normal position will cause the expansion of the other clamp, each of the clampsbeing capable of holding articles of various sizes when contracted to or toward or even beyond normal position. q

8. In a device of the character set' forth, a plurality of spring clamps associated with one another, each of. the aforesaid clamps being capable of clamping and holding firmly articles of various sizes, pressure applied to either of the clamps providing for the expansion of the other clamp for the reception or release of the aforesaid articles, and additional means to provide for the expansion of one of the clamps when the other clamp is occupied.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANCIS J. DOWLING. 

